


That Friday Feeling

by emeraldsword



Category: Lewis (TV)
Genre: Accidental Relationship, M/M, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-26
Updated: 2012-04-26
Packaged: 2017-11-04 09:16:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/392212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emeraldsword/pseuds/emeraldsword
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Friday night dates-that-aren't and platonic-bed-sharing that isn't – what more could one want?</p>
            </blockquote>





	That Friday Feeling

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gumbie_cat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gumbie_cat/gifts).



> Thanks to my beta, Lycoris, who was generally awesome at all points connected to this!
> 
> Many Happy Returns to Gumbie_Cat - hope you have a good one!

Lewis had no idea how they'd gone from the occasional drink after work on a Friday night to having a fixed routine, but somehow they had. Every Friday, about 4.45, Hathaway would look up and say:  
"Got any plans tonight, Sir?"  
"Nothing special, I'm afraid, might get a takeaway. Yourself?"  
"No plans," Hathaway would reply.  
"You're welcome to join me for a takeaway, if you like," Lewis would say. "I was thinking maybe Indian?"  
"I'll be over around seven."  
And, true to form, he would be, bringing beer or wine as the mood took him. Sometimes they'd be in agreement over what to watch on the telly, sometimes one or other would have got a new film. They'd order the food, eat during the film and around eleven Hathaway would make his excuses and drift off home. The specifics varied, but the basics were set in stone.  
  
Once, just once, Lewis had been busy.  
"Laura and I are going to the opera," he'd said awkwardly. "It was the only night we could get tickets," he'd added.  
"I see. Well, I hope you have a lovely time," Hathaway had said mildly before going back to work, and Lewis had felt…what? He'd gone to the opera and he'd still enjoyed it but he'd kept thinking about Hathaway and the way he'd said 'I see.'  
After that, he'd made sure to keep Fridays free.  


~  
Tonight had started the same as any other Friday. Hathaway had come over with a bottle of wine, they'd ordered a takeaway and settled down in front of the telly. Hathaway had seemed a bit quiet though, and he hadn't finished his meal.  
"You alright?" Lewis had asked and Hathaway had nodded.  
"Bit tired, I think," he said. "Nothing a good night's sleep won't cure."  
Lewis must have looked disappointed because Hathaway had added:  
"It's early yet. Can't miss QI, you know." Lewis had laughed, made some remark and they'd settled down.  
About halfway through the programme, Hathaway had shivered, visible shivered, and drawn his knees up.  
"I'm fine," he'd said in response to Lewis's questioning look. By the end of the programme, it was patently obvious that he was not fine. He looked generally pale, well, paler than usual, but the flush of fever was plain on his cheeks and he was openly shivering.  
  
Lewis had no idea what had prompted him to do what he did next.  
"You look done in, lad," he said. "In no fit state to go home alone." He paused but Hathaway didn't object, didn't make any polite noises about being fine or being able to get a taxi so Lewis continued.  
"Look, you might as well stay here for the night. I can make up the sofa bed."  
"If you wouldn't mind," Hathaway said.  
"Come on," Lewis said, standing up and reaching out a hand to haul Hathaway to his feet. "Let's get you sorted." He released Hathaway's hand as soon as his sergeant was standing and headed through to his own room, where he began rifling through his drawers for his largest pyjamas.  
"Can't guarantee these will fit you," he said, chucking them onto the bed, "but it'll be better than sleeping in your clothes."  
"Thank you," Hathaway said, and there was no sarcasm in his voice. Lewis reached out and patted his arm.  
"No trouble," he said. "You might as well use this bed; I've no idea where the sheets are for the spare room and you should lie down before you fall down."  
Hathaway had flushed but nodded, and that was how Lewis had ended up with a sleeping sergeant Hathaway in his bed.  


Which was now a problem as, after an hour of struggling the sofa bed was still resolutely sofa rather than bed. He'd even resorted to looking for the instructions but even though the damn thing was pretty much new (and therefore untested) they seemed to have vanished into thin air. Lewis had never been much inclined to technical things anyway, and once past midnight his limited tolerance vanished completely.  


He stood quietly in the dark of his bedroom and stared down at the bed. Hathaway was curled up on the left hand side and clearly deeply asleep, still slightly flushed with fever. For a moment, Lewis debated sleeping on the sofa, but quickly dismissed the idea. His age and the back made the short sofa an impossibility for him, and even if he could bear to wake Hathaway, he couldn't bear to make him sleep there. The floor was out for the same reason, and so there was only one thing left to do. Lewis changed in the bathroom and then slid into bed next to Hathaway. The bed dipped as he got in and he froze, but Hathaway didn't react and Lewis gradually made himself comfortable  
He'd expected to find it difficult to sleep, now he'd finally got used to sleeping alone, but he ended up falling asleep faster than usual.  


~  
He drifted slowly awake the next morning to find that Hathaway had curled around him. For a moment he didn't realise it was Hathaway and when memory returned he felt…right, somehow. He allowed himself to doze off again without making any attempt to move.  
When he woke again, perhaps an hour later judging by the light, it was because of the pressure of his bladder. Hathaway hadn't moved away at all, if anything he'd moved closer. His right arm was draped over Lewis's, hand resting on his ribcage. Lewis lay for a moment, enjoying the feeling of another body pressed against his, but his bladder wouldn't be ignored for long and he reluctantly tried to move out from under Hathaway's arm without waking him.  
For a moment, he thought he was succeeding but then Hathaway's arm tightened, then was abruptly yanked away.  
Lewis sat up quickly to find that Hathaway was also sitting up, looking mortified.  
"It's all right," Lewis said quickly. "James, it's all right," he repeated, more gently.  
Hathaway didn't move. Lewis would have said something else, something sensible, but he couldn't think what and in the end his bladder prompted him.  
"Look, I'm going to the loo and when I get back, we'll talk about this, OK?" He waited until he saw Hathaway nod and then got out of bed to head for the bathroom.  


He half expected Hathaway to be gone when he got back but he was still there, even still in the bed though he was sitting up and looking anxious, twisting the duvet cover up into little folds and then smoothing them down again. He looked up when Lewis walked into the room but didn't look any less anxious.  
"Sir, I…" he began.  
"Robbie, don't you think?" Lewis asked, lifting the covers and sliding back into bed before turning so he could face Hathaway properly.  
"What?" Hathaway said, and Lewis had to bite his lip to keep from smiling.  
"I think Robbie's more appropriate for someone you're in bed with, don't you?" Lewis asked mildly. "And, if anything," he said quickly, before James could start speaking again. "I owe you an apology for that. I couldn't get the damn sofa bed to stop being a sofa and I'm not taking the floor at my age."  
"You should have woken me," Hathaway said. "I was only a bit feverish, I'd have been fine in a taxi."  
"And why would I want to wake you?" Lewis asked. "You were fine where you were."  
"Then, maybe," Hathaway said darkly, and Lewis watched as the blush spread across that pale face.  
"And now," he said, not firmly but clearly. He reached out cautiously to find Hathaway's hand where he was still fidgeting with the covers. Hathaway's hand stilled under his, going rigid for a moment but then relaxing.  
"OK?" Lewis asked, gently rubbing his thumb across the palm of Hathaway's hand. Hathaway didn't speak, but moved his hand so they were holding hands properly. Lewis slowly leaned in for a kiss, and Hathaway met him halfway.  


~  
The next time they woke up curled around each other, neither of them even thought about leaving.


End file.
